we have had this bugging problem with an electrical line. it seems like every time we go on long vacations, this particular line trips!. on this particular line, our FREEZER is plugged into. so the last time this line tripped, we came home with hundred $$$ worth of spoiled food/meat products.
to remedy this problem, I go down to the basement and reset a particular outlet(not the breaker box) and power is restored.
so it dawned on me that the solution would be, since ive started this home automation venture, is to have a Z-WAVE PLUS outlet. Z-WAVE PLUS and not just Z-WAVE because from what ive read, the Z-WAVE PLUS has an inherent feature where itll notify me if there is no power to the outlet. so, if this happens and we are 1000 miles away from home, I can just tap an power icon and power will be restored(?).
if my line of thinking is true, can anyone suggest a particular Z-WAVE PLUS in-wall outlet please. live link will be very much appreciated.
but this means I have to go through a smartapp which is fine but I am still to figure out going through smartapps i.e. core and what not and looks like going through this route is not really a fool proof solution as this method can also be finicky(?)…
thanks again for your kind help…
this “forum” format will take time to get used to…
circuit breaker outlet vs. standard switched outlet?
to be honest I wouldn’t know. but im guessing its a breaker outlet since its close to the circuit breaker.
from the years past, looks like the outlet trips whenever there is heavy rain, so something, somewhere is “grounding” (sorry if its the correct term, not electrically inclined).
I was just thinking a remote reset is more cost efficient readily available solution than to have checked by an electrician. I try to be handy as I can to support my MTB vice. lol…
How do you “reset” the outlet? Is it a GFI outlet? I don’t think a remote control outlet is going to fix your issue. There are no GFI zwave outlets that I’m aware of, and even if there were, I’m fairly certain that tripping the GFI would require a manual button press as it would kill power to the zwave radio when it was tripped.
Your best bet is to get an electrician out to figure out what’s tripping the outlet rather than putting a band-aid on it. If a GFI outlet trips frequently you have a problem somewhere that needs to be addressed.
So are you saying? Your resetting the gfci on a outlet? and then power is restored to the outlets downstream?
If so are any of the other outlets in the circuit outdoors? Getting wet from rain?
Also if you don’t want to figure out the root cause or issue. Could you not by an 12ga appliance extension cord and plug the freezer into an outlet NOT on the circuit that keeps tripping? Or possibly relocate the freezer?
I have actually used an extension cord plugged along side the freezer with an emergency light plugged in…
What this does is alert me through our home camera that the line has tripped when i see the emergency light comes on… So genius of me isnt it? Lol… Now coming to realize through your bettet suggestion to plug it in an outlet that does not trip.
Only thing is i wouldnt know since the only indication i have if a line has tripped is when i see the emergency light come on or come home to rotten food.
Freezer is in the garage and placement is wife specific. So moving it is not an option. Lol
I’ll chime in and agree that is if it in garage and GFCI is tripping when it rains chances are you have an outlet on the outside of garage that has a short in it. You should also note that once a GFCI outlet is tripped a couple times they tend to trip easier. I have several solutions, but given your admission of not being electrically inclined I’ll keep them to myself and join the chorus of calling in professional ( or at least knowledgeable ) help.
I think the solution is obvious. Not “easy” but obvious. She’s got to go.
This sounds like a GFCI Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter receptacle, that is either malfunctioning, or the fridge is faulty, or the power wiring is faulty/ground is loose.
the only ones I can think of are the ones by our porch and by the patio. if these are the probable suspects, I may have fixed the problem since I installed covers on these outlets last December when in installed my NEST OUTDOOR cameras.
was kidding about the voltage meter…lol I will see if I can get the ground fault tester though.
well, thank you guys. I think I have surmised that I have been educated and will put this project on hold.
Im quite optimistic I may have resolved the issue by putting covers on my external outlets. a thunderstorm is forecasted to come our area tonight and if nothing trips then this confirms my optimism.
if not, I may have to find an electrician.
but one very weird thing is that, almost always, bad weather or not, the line only trips when we are out of town… I cant remember it tripping in bad weather while we are at home which is I think weird.
Do you turn your thermostat down when you’re out of town? Quite often you’ll see all different kinds of odd affects at a house that is unoccupied just because there’s a different usage pattern for the HVAC.
Sometimes just a difference of three or 4° is enough to change the condensation patterns on a roof or walls, in turn exposing vulnerable areas in the wiring. It’s not common, but it happens.